Breakdown
by firefly214
Summary: [Warning: Season 3 spoilers] Jughead's mom is finally discovered as the fizzle rocks kingpin. After her arrest, Jughead's emotional walls come down and he finds comfort from Betty. Bughead/Jughead oneshot.


**Hey all, so as I promised in my last oneshot, here's another oneshot for this new week. So this takes place in late season 3 and it's my version of just one scene that I think is going to happen. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

My stomach feels the way it did when I was younger and the 4 of us would go to the drive-in together. The bumpy ride in the stuffy trunk would always make me a bit nauseous, but I never minded it because we would all watch a movie together after it. This time, the "movie after it" is the end of Gladys's fizzle rocks operation.

I keep my gun steady, pointed at the dirty, dingy building. If any Gargoyles try to escape, I'm ready to stop them. All the lights shining on the building illuminate the ugly walls, marked by layer after layer of graffiti, new on top of old on top of older. Sketches of gargoyles cover all the walls. Some are actually pretty good. Others look like absolute crap.

It's cold. My nose is cold. I'm hungry too. I wish I'd brought a snack.

I hear gunshots. The one door I can see flies open and some gargoyles run out. Two entangled bodies fall from a 3rd-story window. They're right in front of a beam of light. One of them is a gargoyle. The other is one of my dad's deputies. He's wearing the beige uniform. His eyes are wide open. His head is bleeding where it hit the ground. The gargoyle's back doesn't move at all. I think they're both dead.

Another gargoyle body falls in front of the pair of corpses. One. Two. Three. Four. He rolls onto his back.

Three more gargoyles run out of the building.

...

In front of my dad is Gladys. She's in handcuffs.

...

My dad's crying.

...

This gun is too heavy.

...

I run.

The scent of grass fills my nose completely. I tripped on a rock.

I keep running.

It's so dark out.

Run.

I can hear my own heart beating in my ears.

Run.

My shoes slapping the concrete echoes through the empty, open air.

Run.

Maybe I would've been good at track.

Run.

I cross the train tracks.

Run.

Pop's signs are so bright.

Run.

The streetlamps are always on in the Northside.

Run.

The lawns are that perfect almost artificial green color.

Run.

I'm so tired.

Run.

I'm so out of breath.

I collapse on the sidewalk.

I look up at the building in front of me. _Pembrooke_.

Betty!

I stand. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot.

Open the door. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot.

Elevator. _Penthouse. Close Doors._

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thir-

_Ding!_ Doors open.

Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot.

Knock. It reverberates through the small hallway.

"Jug?" She's worried. I collapse into her body.

One.

Her hair smells like roses.

Two.

Her arms wrap around me.

Three.

Her skin is so soft.

Four.

Her hands are in my hair now.

Five.

"Jug."

Six.

My heart beats so loudly. I look up.

Seven.

Her eyes are so green.

Eight.

"What's wrong?"

What's wrong?

What's wrong?

WHAT'S WRONG?

Nine.

Ten.

I think I'm sad.

Eleven.

Why am I sad?

Twelve.

My face is in her hair again.

Thirteen.

I'm crying.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

I'm sad.

Sixteen.

I can't breathe.

Seventeen.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

She's still my mom.

Twenty.

Twenty-one.

Gladys Jones is still my mom.

Twenty-two.

My mom was arrested tonight.

Twenty-three.

My mom's going to prison.

Twenty-four.

Twenty-five.

Gone. She'll be gone.

Twenty-six.

Again. She'll be gone _again_.

Twenty-seven.

Cry.

Twenty-eight.

Twenty-nine.

"She's leaving again."

"My dad caught her."

Cry.

"She's leaving me again."

"She doesn't want me. She didn't want me."

"She didn't want me, Betty. She just left!"

Cry.

"She took everything _but_ me and left!"

"And... And then she came back. And... And I thought that... that maybe she _finally_ wanted me. But she didn't want me, Betty."

I can't. I can't breathe. I can't breathe anymore.

"She'll never want me."

I feel weak. My legs are so weak. My limbs are tired. I collapse against her warm body and she holds me up.

"I don't know what her reason could possibly be, but I know it must be a stupid one. She's such a fool," Betty says.

Only she could make me believe those words. Only she could make me feel okay after everything that has happened tonight. Wrapped in her arms and her love, I tell myself that I'll be okay and I fully believe it this time.

**Thank you so much for reading, guys! I really hope that you liked it and that the way I wrote it wasn't too confusing. I was really trying to embody Jughead's voice and write it like you were looking into his mind. Thank you so much again for reading! And if you guys like my Riverdale works, I'll be releasing a Choni oneshot (by special request) later this week. I'm also planning to start releasing a Bughead story later this week or maybe next week, so if you're interested in reading either of those, keep an eye out for them. Thanks again for reading and have a great night!**


End file.
